Gov. Greg Abbott’s silence on prospect of UT tuition increases could be telling

When Rick Perry was governor, he weighed in publicly twice when the UT System Board of Regents was about to increase tuition and mandatory fees — and in both cases the regents backed off. Some might say that is an appropriate role for the state’s chief executive. Others might call it meddling, as state law puts governing boards of public universities in charge of tuition.

In contrast, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick — a Republican, like the current and former governors — issued a statement Thursday, a day before the regents met, urging them to hold the line on tuition.

I asked Abbott’s press office for the governor’s view on the UT board’s plan and received no comment. Which actually might say a lot. Abbott’s silence on the matter could suggest that he’s trusting his appointees to the board, as well as those named by his predecessor, to do their jobs as they see fit, even if it entails a tuition increase. Stay tuned.

View Comments
0

There are no comments yet. Be the first to post your thoughts. Sign in or register.